YouTube: The Accepting Prayer of Thanksgiving

Last week, we explored the principle of Divine Order—the understanding that spiritual order unfolds naturally when we acknowledge it rather than attempt to force it. This week, we build on that foundation by focusing on a practice that aligns consciousness with that order: the accepting prayer of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is more than gratitude for what has already manifested. It is a spiritual state of receiving, a recognition that good is already in motion even when our senses have yet to confirm it. When we give thanks before the evidence appears, we shift from a mindset of striving to a mindset of trust. We are not trying to establish divine order—we are remembering that it is already present.

This is why Jesus taught, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask.” Prayer, then, is not information for God; it is preparation of the mind. Thanksgiving raises our expectation, creating a mental and emotional atmosphere in which the good we seek can be recognized and accepted.

Consider a moment in your life where anxiety overshadowed clarity. A request made from fear often assumes lack. A request offered in thankfulness acknowledges abundance. The same prayer can either close the heart or open it, depending on the consciousness in which it is spoken.

The accepting prayer of thanksgiving aligns us with spiritual reality:

•Divine order is already in motion

•Good is already unfolding

•We are prepared to receive

In this light, thanksgiving becomes an act of faith—not blind belief, but confident expectancy. We give thanks now because spiritual law is already at work. We give thanks now because good is seeking expression. We give thanks now because our role is not to create divine order but to cooperate with it.

Take a situation in your life that feels unresolved. Instead of pleading for change, affirm quietly:

“Thank you, Father, that divine order is now unfolding here.”

Let the feeling of trust do its quiet work.

YouTube: Intercessory Prayer: What is it and How Does it Work?

Intercessory Prayer: A form of prayer where individuals pray on behalf of others, seeking divine intervention by bringing their needs, concerns, and requests before a higher power.

This definition for intercessory prayer is one that is widely accepted and invoked, often on behalf of those whose lives are impacted during a national tragedy. This, I believe, is an empowering service that plays an important role for those on the receiving and giving ends.  

How we view prayer will depend on how we view God. Would a collective prayer encourage God to act, to give attention to a situation that God would otherwise miss? Does collective prayer increase the power of God? A more challenging question is this: Why do some seem to be spared by our prayers while others are not? Finally, does prayer change God, or does it change us?

There are studies that show intercessory prayer does make a difference, but there are also as many studies that show it does not. I think we’re faced with a similar question when we think of Jesus as a healer. Did he possess special healing powers, or was it, as he often suggested, the faith of the person healed that brought the change?

Concerning the question of whether prayer changes God or us, I fall into the prayer changes us side. If I have a problem and I allow my energy to be drained by fear, negative visualization, and the continual rehearsal of negative outcomes, the problem looks and feels bigger than me. However, if I am empowered with faith, know that my soul cannot be defeated regardless, and have no doubt that God is my unfailing source, I see the same problem as very manageable. How we see the problem depends on how we see ourselves.

Never pass on the opportunity to pray for others. God as the creative life force is always in full action. We cannot know what the best and highest outcome is for another. If it is their time to depart, nothing we can do will keep them here. If it is not their time to go, no tragedy is big enough to take them.

YouTube: Be Ye Transformed

Myrtle Fillmore’s Healing Journey

The Unity Movement was founded on prayer. Myrtle Fillmore, one of our co-founders, was a frail child who suffered from tuberculosis and was not expected to live a long life. She grew up hearing that her disease was inherited and there was nothing she could do about it. As an adult, she attended a lecture by Dr. E. B. Weeks, who was a student of Emma Curtis Hopkins, a noteworthy name in early New Thought. Dr. Weeks made a statement that changed Myrtle’s life. He said, “You are a child of God and you cannot inherit sickness.” This captured Myrtle’s attention. She spent the next several years in designated prayer time speaking affirmative healing statements to her body. She kept an empty chair in front of her and imagined Jesus sitting in it, offering healing guidance.

Her healing was not instant. She devoted herself to changing her mind. Imagining healing energy directed by her own words was a powerful change of thinking. Envisioning Jesus as a great healing presence became a strong aid in her healing process.

It is also worth noting that prior to her spiritual approach, she tried every medication available, but to no avail. Her healing journey supports our basic understanding that prayer changes us, not God. Her change of mind, her healing affirmations, and her powerful visualizations brought her complete healing and the ability to live a very full life to age 86. At the end, she told her fellow workers at Unity that she felt it was time for her to move on, that she could be more effective working from the other side.

Myrtle has been an inspiration to millions of people. She was very down to earth, very practical, and totally committed to the spiritual truth taught through Unity. In terms of her writings, I’ve always considered her more accessible than Charles, who did most of the writing. Before Unity became a movement, she conducted healing services from her home, we’re told, with marvelous results.

Paul said, “Be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Myrtle Fillmore truly exemplified this principle.   

YouTube: The Prayer Principle

Someone has said, and I believe rightfully, that prayer does not change God, it changes us. This seems to agree with the statement of James, who referred to God as the “ … Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). If we accept this, then we want to know how we are to change if our prayer is to be effective.

In Matthew 5:37, Jesus emphasized the importance of simplicity in our words by saying, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.” This principle holds true with prayer. Saying “yes” affirms a truth, while saying “no” denotes denial. In our prayer, we acknowledge the truth and release any negative energy we may have attached to a certain situation. Fear, as the most prevalent form of negative energy, often requires our attention and release during prayer.

The way we perceive things and think about them affects how we engage with the creative life force that we refer to as God. When we seek healing through prayer, for instance, we begin by acknowledging that deep down, our soul is already complete. We embrace our inherent wholeness and reject any conflicting appearances. Rejecting these appearances does not imply that we deny or disregard them. Rather, it signifies that we let go of any uncertainty surrounding our healing, and instead, we fully trust that it is already manifesting. There are no barriers or hindrances. Just like a river, God’s energy flows in a single direction: from within ourselves outward. This same principle applies to any other need we may have.

Whenever we notice any sign of lack, we take it as a reminder to embrace the power of prayer. As we live in a physical form, our prayer practice might also require us to make adjustments in areas such as our diet or overall lifestyle. I noticed my car was leaking oil, for example. My prayer for healing involved taking it to a mechanic. As much as I would like such an issue to self-heal, such things usually involve participation at the physical level.

If we think of the prayer principle as the act of putting everything in motion, beginning with our state of mind, then we are open to the perfect outworking of our need at all levels.